


now smile a smile for me

by empressearwig



Category: Betsy-Tacy Series - Maud Hart Lovelace
Genre: College AU, F/M, Modern AU, Yuletide Treat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-13
Updated: 2014-12-13
Packaged: 2018-03-01 07:38:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2765078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/empressearwig/pseuds/empressearwig
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Tacy, Mr. Kerr is your responsibility now." ~ Betsy & Joe, Chapter 16</p>
            </blockquote>





	now smile a smile for me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spyglass](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spyglass/gifts).



> I HOPE YOU LIKE THIS. Happy yuletide!

"We're home!" Betsy called out, pushing her way through the front door of the Ray house. "Are we late?"

Tacy followed her inside, unwrapping her scarf from around her neck and tugging off her hat, as at home here as she was in her own parents' house. She smiled at Mr. and Mrs. Ray who were sitting side by side in the living room, and then her eyes found the other occupant of the room. Her hands froze on the buttons of her coat.

"Girls!" Mr. Ray boomed, coming to his feet. "You are late," he said, wagging a finger at Betsy, "but I think we can forgive it this once since you're on vacation. Just this once, mind you."

"Bob," Mrs. Ray scolded. "Stop teasing the girls. You're making Tacy feel bad. And introduce our guest."

"Oh, no, I'm fine," Tacy protested, her cheeks flushing. Her eyes strayed back to the stranger, who had risen to his feet as well. He was eyeing her with a frankness that wasn't like any of the boys they'd gone to high school with or any of the boys she'd met while at Minnesota State. It wasn't bad, exactly. But it was different.

"Girls," Mr. Ray said, gesturing towards the other man, "this is the infamous Mr. Harry Kerr."

"Infamous?" Harry said, grinning at the description. "I feel certain there's a story here."

"I've told the girls all about you," Mr. Ray warned him. "So don't think you'll get up to any of your tricks."

"I don't have any tricks," Harry said. He stepped forward, and held out his hand to Betsy. "You must be Betsy Ray."

"Guilty as charged," Betsy said, shaking his hand. "I've heard an awful lot about you."

"Likewise," he said. His gaze slid sideways, fixed on Tacy again. "And you must be Tacy."

"Yes," she managed, holding out her hand to shake. "I am."

He took her hand and shook it, lingering over it for just a little longer than he should have. "Tacy," he said again, as if testing her name out. He smiled at her, and a strange sort of warmth washed over her. "I hear you're the answer to my prayers."

Tacy blinked in surprise. She was very sure no one had ever said that to her before. "Excuse me?"

Mrs. Ray stepped forward and rushed to explain. "You see, Tacy dear, Harry has a little girl. Olivia. And she's just dying to take piano lessons."

"And one day at the store, Harry asks me, 'Bob, you've lived in Deep Valley all your life, don't you know anyone who could teach her?'" Mr. Ray said, continuing the tale. "And since Miss Cobb retired to Florida, I didn't know who all the kiddies were going to for their lessons these days."

"And so he asked me at dinner that night, and I thought of you," Mrs. Ray finished.

"And so I wrangled myself an invitation to Sunday night lunch, so I could talk with you about it," Harry said. "So let's talk."

Before Tacy was sure what had happened, Harry had taken her arm and escorted her over to the piano. She sat at the bench, almost automatically, and he settled down next to her, crowding against her side. She should have hated it, she thought. She didn't like forward men, and she didn't particularly liked being touched. But she didn't mind when he touched her, didn't mind it at all. What was _wrong_ with her?

"How old is your daughter, Mr. Kerr?" she asked, doing her best to make her voice cold.

"It's Harry," he said. "You'll make me feel ancient if you call me anything else."

"If you want me to teach your daughter, surely a layer of formality is called for," she said, doing her best to remember everything she'd learned in her teaching practicum. It was hard to remember when she could feel him practically vibrating with energy beside her. "What does your wife think of Olivia's desire for piano lessons?"

"My wife?" Harry asked, looking at her with surprise. "I'm not married."

It was Tacy's turn to look surprised. And then she looked embarrassed. "I'm sorry," she said, stammering out the words. "I just assumed--"

"That with a father and daughter there must be a mother?" Harry supplied. He shook his head, and looked a little sad, for just a moment. And then it was gone. "It's not a bad assumption. And there was, once."

"And now?" Tacy asked. She couldn't quite believe her daring, but it seemed important somehow.

"Now, there's not," he said, and his words were final. 

"I'm sorry," Tacy said again. "I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."

"Oh," Harry said, and his voice went low. He looked behind them and then his hand covered hers where it rested on the piano keys. "I don't know if I'd say that."

Tacy blushed.

Behind them, the doorbell rang and there was a scuffle as Mr. Ray and Betsy both went to answer the door. Voices echoed in from the foyer, filling the once mostly quiet room. 

Harry looked at her. Tacy looked at him. 

He smiled at her and squeezed her fingers just once, before letting go and removing his hand. 

The moment between them was over, but for some reason--a reason she couldn't name, or explain, or even understand--Tacy was sure it wouldn't be the last one they'd share.

"Gang," Betsy's voice said, rising above the din, "that's Harry Kerr beside Tacy. He works with my father at the store and she's going to give his daughter piano lessons."

Harry turned and waved to everyone, and a chorus of greetings came back to him. 

"Tacy, love," Mr. Ray said, "do you mind being in charge of this one?" He clapped Harry on the shoulder. "I need to make sandwiches or we'll never eat, and I don't trust this crowd one bit."

Tacy looked sideways at Harry, who was grinning openly at Mr. Ray's suggestion. "I'd be happy to," she said.

"Good," Mr. Ray said. "That's settled; you're in charge of each other for the evening."

He clapped Harry's shoulder once more and walked away before he could notice the blush that spread across Tacy's cheeks. 

"In charge of each other," Harry said, still grinning. "I do like the sound of that."

Tacy did too.

"Tell me about Olivia," she said. 

She started to noodle with the piano keys and Harry's voice rose above it, telling her stories of his daughter and what she did and what she liked. Behind them, the crowd talked and gossiped and made merry, but Tacy didn't hear any of it.

All she heard was the sound of Harry's voice, and the sound of her own beating heart.

*

After Sunday night lunch, when she'd accepted Harry's offer of a ride home, Tacy let him walk her to her door. 

He didn't kiss her goodnight, though she'd have let him, and though she wanted him to. Instead, he kissed her hand and looked at her intently and said, "Tacy Kelly, I'm going to marry you someday."

He kissed her hand again, and was gone, a promise to call her tomorrow tossed back over his shoulder. 

Tacy let herself into her tiny studio apartment and sagged against the door. 

Harry Kerr said he was going to marry her. And Tacy had the sneaking suspicion that he was right.


End file.
